JP4628964B2 - Substrate processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for loading a substrate into a support base and a technique for unloading the substrate from the support base when the substrate is placed on a support base for processing.

  There has been proposed a substrate processing apparatus that performs various processes while horizontally supporting a substrate by a support base. In such a substrate processing apparatus, a plurality of support pins that move up and down are provided, and the loaded substrate is placed on the plurality of raised support pins, and the support pins are lowered and buried in the support base. Is placed on the support base. In addition, the substrate that has been processed is lifted from the support table and carried out by the support pins rising and protruding upward from the support table.

  When the substrate is placed on the support base with such a configuration, if the back surface of the substrate is in a horizontal state, the atmosphere between the substrate and the support base is not properly removed, and the substrate floats for a moment. In some cases, the substrate mounting position may be shifted. In addition, when the atmosphere stays between the substrate and the support table, a portion of the substrate that is in direct contact with the support table and a portion where an atmosphere layer is formed between the support table Therefore, for example, the thermal conductivity may change and processing unevenness may occur.

  Also, when lifting the substrate from the support base, if you try to lift the substrate in a horizontal state (the entire area of the substrate at the same time), the atmosphere will not flow properly between the substrate and the support base (particularly in the center), It may be damaged.

  Accordingly, when performing the substrate placing operation and the lifting operation, it is preferable that the substrate is slightly bent. That is, when performing these operations, it is preferable that the upper end positions of the plurality of support pins are partially different.

  On the other hand, in the case of a heat treatment device or a cooling treatment device that performs temperature adjustment processing on a substrate, or a device that performs chemical treatment that is easily affected by heat distribution (for example, a coating treatment device), It is preferable that the heat distribution of the supported substrate is uniform. For this purpose, it is preferable that the height positions of the upper ends of the plurality of lowered support pins are equal to each other, and the height positions thereof are equal to the height position of the holding surface of the support base. That is, it is preferable that the back surface of the substrate to be processed is in contact with the support pins or the holding surface, or the space volumes of the gaps formed by the support pins and the substrate are equal.

  In order to simultaneously realize the above conditions, it is necessary to raise and lower the plurality of support pins independently. As one method for realizing this, it is conceivable to raise and lower a plurality of support pins by a plurality of independent drive mechanisms. Such a technique is described in Patent Document 1, for example.

  Further, there is a technique in which a lift plate that lifts and lowers a plurality of support pins is separated from the lower ends of the plurality of support pins at a predetermined position so that each support pin is supported by a support base and does not descend below the holding surface. It has been proposed (Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-241918 JP 2000-237983 A

  However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 has a problem that the cost of the apparatus increases because a plurality of drive mechanisms are provided.

  In the technique described in Patent Document 2, since the support pin is pressed against the back surface of the substrate by the biasing force of the spring, it is necessary to suck the substrate so that it does not float while the substrate is supported on the support base. There was a problem that there was.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and while processing a substrate, the substrate is appropriately supported by a support base, and also when the substrate is placed on the support base or picked up from the substrate. The purpose is to provide a mechanism that can properly handle the problem.

To solve the above problems, the invention of claim 1, a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, in performing the process, a support base for supporting a substrate in horizontal state, the support table A first support pin and a second support pin, which are inserted into a through-hole provided in the upper surface from the back surface side of the upper surface and project above the upper surface, and support the substrate, and the first support pin and the second support A pin support mechanism that supports the pins so as to be movable up and down with respect to the support base, and the first support pin and the second support pin are respectively moved between an elevated position and a lowered position via the pin support mechanism. And the second support pin is supported by the support base while reaching the lowered position prior to the first support pin when the substrate is placed on the support base. Rising board The first support pin protrudes above the upper surface with a delay from the first support pin, and the pin support mechanism is in a state where both the first support pin and the second support pin are in the lowered position. the height position of the upper end height position and the second support pin of the upper end of the first support pins are both so like properly and the height position of the upper surface, a lower end of said first support pin and said second (2) The lower end of each support pin is supported.

Also, before Symbol pin support mechanism, said one and the plate member for transmitting the driving force of the driving mechanism to the first support pin and said second support pin, is raised members or supporting the lower end of the second support pin And a fixing member that supports the lifting member in a state where the second support pin is in the lowered position, and the lifting member is configured so that the second support pin is not in the lowered position. It is supported by a plate member.

Further, the invention of claim 2 is a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, and when executing the processing, a support base that supports the substrate in a horizontal state, and a through hole provided in an upper surface of the support base The first support pin and the second support pin that are inserted from the rear surface side of the upper surface and support the substrate by projecting upward from the upper surface, and the first support pin and the second support pin to the support base A pin support mechanism that is supported so as to freely move up and down, and one drive mechanism that moves the first support pin and the second support pin between the raised position and the lowered position, respectively, via the pin support mechanism. And the second support pin raises the substrate supported by the support table while reaching the lowered position before the first support pin when the substrate is placed on the support table. In some cases The pin support mechanism protrudes above the upper surface with a delay from the first support pin, and the pin support mechanism is configured so that both the first support pin and the second support pin are in the lowered position. The lower end of the first support pin and the lower end of the second support pin are set such that the height position of the upper end and the height position of the upper end of the second support pin are both equal to the height position of the upper surface. In the state in which the pin support mechanism supports the plate member that transmits the driving force of the one drive mechanism to the first support pin and the second support pin, and the second support pin is in the lowered position. And a fixing member that penetrates the plate member and supports the lower end of the second support pin.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, wherein when the processing is performed, a support base that supports the substrate in a horizontal state, and a through-hole provided in an upper surface of the support base The first support pin and the second support pin that are inserted from the rear surface side of the upper surface and support the substrate by projecting upward from the upper surface, and the first support pin and the second support pin to the support base A pin support mechanism that is supported so as to freely move up and down, and one drive mechanism that moves the first support pin and the second support pin between the raised position and the lowered position, respectively, via the pin support mechanism. And the second support pin raises the substrate supported by the support table while reaching the lowered position before the first support pin when the substrate is placed on the support table. In some cases The pin support mechanism protrudes above the upper surface with a delay from the first support pin, and the pin support mechanism is configured so that both the first support pin and the second support pin are in the lowered position. The lower end of the first support pin and the lower end of the second support pin are set such that the height position of the upper end and the height position of the upper end of the second support pin are both equal to the height position of the upper surface. In the state in which the pin support mechanism supports the plate member that transmits the driving force of the one drive mechanism to the first support pin and the second support pin, and the second support pin is in the lowered position. And a fixing member that supports a lower end of the second support pin, and the second support pin includes a support portion that is supported by the plate member when the second support pin is not in the lowered position.

According to the first to third aspects of the present invention, the second support pin reaches the lowered position before the first support pin when the substrate is placed on the support table, while the substrate is supported by the support table. In the case where the first support pin protrudes above the upper surface with a delay from the first support pin, and the pin support mechanism is configured so that the first support pin and the second support pin are in the lowered position. the height position of the upper end and the height position of the upper end of the second support pin are both so height and equal properly of the upper surface, for supporting the lower end and the lower end of the second support pin of the first support pins, respectively This eliminates the need to press the first support pin and the second support pin against the substrate supported by the support base. That is, since the force acting on the substrate is suppressed, the substrate can be prevented from cracking.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<1. First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, for the sake of illustration and explanation, the Z-axis direction is defined as the vertical direction and the XY plane is defined as the horizontal plane, but these are defined for convenience in order to grasp the positional relationship. The directions described below are not limited. The same applies to the following figures.

  The substrate processing apparatus 1 is roughly divided into a main body 2 and a control unit 8, and a square glass substrate for manufacturing a screen panel of a liquid crystal display device is a substrate to be processed (hereinafter simply referred to as “substrate”) 90. In a process of selectively etching an electrode layer or the like formed on the surface of the substrate 90, the coating apparatus is configured to apply a resist solution as a processing solution to the surface of the substrate 90. Therefore, in this embodiment, the slit nozzle 41 discharges the resist solution. In addition, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be modified and used not only as a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device but also as a device for applying a processing liquid to various substrates for a flat panel display.

  The main body 2 includes a stage 3 that functions as a support base for placing and holding the substrate 90 and also functions as a base for each attached mechanism. The stage 3 is made of, for example, an integral stone having a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and its upper surface (holding surface 30) and side surfaces are processed into flat surfaces.

  The upper surface of the stage 3 is a horizontal plane, and serves as a holding surface 30 that supports the substrate 90 in a substantially horizontal state. A large number of vacuum suction ports (not shown) are formed on the holding surface 30 in a distributed manner. When the substrate 90 is placed on the holding surface 30, the substrate 90 is sucked and held at a predetermined horizontal position. In the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment, the suction is stopped after the substrate 90 is once held, but details will be described later.

  A pair of running rails 31 extending in parallel in a substantially horizontal direction are fixed to both ends of the holding surface 30 across the holding area of the substrate 90 (region where the substrate 90 is held). The traveling rail 31, together with a support block (not shown) fixed to the lowermost part of both ends of the bridge structure 4, guides the movement of the bridge structure 4 (defines the moving direction to a predetermined direction), and holds the bridge structure 4 on the holding surface A linear guide supported above 30 is configured.

  On the holding surface 30 of the main body 2, an opening 32 is provided on the (−X) direction side of the holding area. The opening 32 has a longitudinal direction in the Y-axis direction similar to the slit nozzle 41, and the longitudinal length is substantially the same as the longitudinal direction length of the slit nozzle 41.

  Although not shown in FIG. 1, in the main body 2 below the opening 32, a pre-coating mechanism for normalizing the state of the slit nozzle 41 and drying of the waiting slit nozzle 41 are suppressed. There are standby pods and so on. The standby pot is also used when the resist solution is discharged from a resist pump (not shown).

  Above the stage 3, a bridging structure 4 is provided that extends substantially horizontally from both sides of the stage 3. The bridging structure 4 is mainly composed of, for example, a nozzle support portion 40 that uses carbon fiber reinforced resin as an aggregate, and elevating mechanisms 43 and 44 that support both ends thereof.

  A slit nozzle 41 is attached to the nozzle support portion 40. In FIG. 1, a resist supply mechanism (not shown) for supplying a resist solution to the slit nozzle 41 is connected to the slit nozzle 41 having a longitudinal direction in the Y-axis direction.

  The slit nozzle 41 scans the surface of the substrate 90 and discharges the supplied resist solution to a predetermined region (hereinafter referred to as “resist application region”) on the surface of the substrate 90, thereby resisting the substrate 90. Apply liquid. The resist coating region is a region on the surface of the substrate 90 where the resist solution is to be applied, and is usually a region obtained by excluding a region having a predetermined width along the edge from the entire area of the substrate 90. is there.

  The elevating mechanisms 43 and 44 are divided on both sides of the slit nozzle 41 and connected to the slit nozzle 41 by the nozzle support portion 40. The elevating mechanisms 43 and 44 mainly include AC servo motors 43a and 44a and a ball screw (not shown), and generate elevating driving force (driving force in the Z-axis direction) of the bridging structure 4 based on a control signal from the control unit 8. . Thereby, the raising / lowering mechanisms 43 and 44 raise / lower the slit nozzle 41 in translation. The lifting mechanisms 43 and 44 are also used to adjust the posture of the slit nozzle 41 in the YZ plane.

  A pair of AC coreless linear motors (hereinafter simply referred to as “stator”) and a “moving element 50b” and “stator 51a” and “moving element 51b” are provided at both ends of the bridging structure 4 along the edges on both sides of the stage 3, respectively. , Abbreviated as “linear motor”.) 50 and 51 are fixed.

  In addition, linear encoders 52 and 53 each having a scale portion and a detector are fixed to both ends of the bridging structure 4. The linear encoders 52 and 53 detect the positions of the linear motors 50 and 51. The linear motors 50 and 51 and the linear encoders 52 and 53 mainly constitute a moving mechanism for moving the bridge structure 4 on the stage 3 while being guided by the traveling rail 31.

  The control unit 8 controls the operation of the linear motors 50 and 51 based on the detection results from the linear encoders 52 and 53, and controls the movement of the bridging structure 4 on the stage 3, that is, the scanning of the substrate 90 by the slit nozzle 41. To do.

  The control unit 8 includes a calculation unit 80 that processes various data according to a program and a storage unit 81 that stores the program and various data. Further, on the front surface, an operation unit 82 for an operator to input necessary instructions to the substrate processing apparatus 1 and a display unit 83 for displaying various data are provided.

  The control unit 8 is electrically connected to each mechanism attached to the main body 2 by a cable (not shown) in FIG. The calculation unit 80 of the control unit 8 supplies the resist solution to the slit nozzle 41 based on an input signal from the operation unit 82 and signals from various sensors (not shown), and the lifting operation by the lifting mechanisms 43 and 44. The scanning operation of the slit nozzle 41 by the linear motors 50 and 51 is controlled.

  In the configuration of the control unit 8, specific examples of the storage unit 81 include a RAM that temporarily stores data, a read-only ROM, and a magnetic disk device. However, the storage unit 81 may be replaced by a storage medium such as a portable magneto-optical disk or a memory card and a reading device thereof. The operation unit 82 corresponds to buttons and switches (including a keyboard and a mouse), but may have a function of the display unit 83 such as a touch panel display. The display unit 83 corresponds to a liquid crystal display or various lamps.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the pin support mechanism 35 in the first embodiment supports the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 in the raised position. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the pin support mechanism 35 supports the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 in the raised position. 2 and 3, the stage 3 and the lift plate 351 are shown in cross section.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 are inserted into the through hole 300 provided on the upper surface of the stage 3 from the back surface side (−Z direction) of the holding surface 30, and the holding surface 30. The substrate 90 is supported by protruding upward. As is clear from FIG. 2, the substrate processing apparatus 1 moves the substrate 90 in the (−Z) direction by the upper end portions of the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 coming into contact with the back surface of the substrate 90. It has a function to support from.

  As shown in FIG. 3, even when the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 are moved to the lowered position (the lowest position), the upper ends thereof are inserted into the through holes 300. That is, the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 do not come out of the through hole 300 even if the pin support mechanism 35 and the drive mechanism 36 are moved up and down. Accordingly, the positions of the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 in the XY plane are substantially defined by the through hole 300. Thereby, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, it is not necessary to fix the 1st support pin 33 and the 2nd support pin 34 using another member, and it can support rotatably centering on an axis | shaft parallel to a Z-axis. . Therefore, for example, the external force applied to the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 can be suppressed in the lifting operation.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the first support pin 33 is longer than the second support pin 34 in the vertical direction.

  In FIG. 2, two first support pins 33 and one second support pin 34 are illustrated, but of course, the number of pins is not limited to this and is suitable for the holding surface 30. Are arranged so that a large number is distributed. In the present embodiment, the first support pin 33 holds the peripheral portion of the substrate 90 and the second support pin 34 holds the central portion of the substrate 90. However, the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 are shown. The arrangement position of the pin 34 is not limited to this.

  The pin support mechanism 35 includes a plate-shaped fixing plate 350 that is fixed to the stage 3 and a plate-shaped lift plate 351 that is moved up and down in the Z-axis direction by the drive mechanism 36. The support pin 34 is supported so as to be movable up and down with respect to the stage 3.

  The lift plate 351 includes sliding contact plates 352 and 353 and a raising member 354 and is fixed to the feed nut 362. The slidable contact plate 352 has a substantially horizontal surface in contact with the first support pin 33 and slidably supports the lower end of the first support pin 33. That is, the lower end of the first support pin 33 is defined in the (−Z) direction by the position of the sliding contact plate 352, but is slidable in the X-axis and Y-axis directions.

  A through hole is provided in the sliding contact plate 353, and the lower part of the raising member 354 is inserted into the through hole from the (+ Z) direction. The horizontal cross-sectional area of the upper part of the raising member 354 is wider than the opening cross-sectional area of the through hole of the sliding contact plate 353 so that the raising member 354 does not come out downward. That is, the sliding contact plate 353 supports the raising member 354 so as to be movable up and down within a predetermined range.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the upper portion of the raising member 354 is supported by the sliding contact plate 353 while the lower end is separated from the fixed plate 350. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, when the lower end of the raising member 354 comes into contact with the fixed plate 350, the upper part is separated from the sliding contact plate 353, and the lifting member 354 is slidably supported by the fixed plate 350. That is, the position of the raising member 354 in the Z-axis direction is determined by being supported by the fixed plate 350 and the lift plate 351 (sliding contact plate 353).

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lower end of the second support pin 34 always abuts on the upper upper surface of the raising member 354. Thus, the second support pin 34 is defined in the (−Z) direction by the raising member 354. However, the raising member 354 and the second support pin can slide in the X-axis and Y-axis directions.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1, when the dimension in the Z-axis direction of the raising member 354 and the dimension in the Z-axis direction of the second support pin 34 are matched, the distance from the upper surface of the fixed plate 350 to the holding surface 30 of the stage 3 is increased. Designed to be a distance.

  The drive mechanism 36 is a mechanism that generates a driving force by a single rotary motor 360, and a mechanism in which a feed nut 362 screwed to the drive shaft 361 moves along the drive shaft 361 by rotating the drive shaft 361. It has become. A lift plate 351 is fixed to the feed nut 362, and the lift plate 351 moves up and down in the Z-axis direction in conjunction with the movement of the feed nut 362.

  That is, the drive mechanism 36 is a linear drive mechanism using a general ball screw, and the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 are respectively moved to the raised position via the pin support mechanism 35 (lift plate 351). (Fig. 2) and a lowered position (Fig. 3). As the drive mechanism 36, another known mechanism may be used. For example, a mechanism using a cylinder may be used. Although not shown, the rotation motor 360 is connected to the control unit 8, and the rotation direction and the rotation speed can be controlled by a control signal from the control unit 8.

  A case where the substrate processing apparatus 1 places the substrate 90 on the holding surface 30 of the stage 3 and a case where the substrate 90 held on the holding surface 30 is taken up will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

  Here, the height position of the upper end of the first support pin 33 in the raised position is referred to as “height position A”, and the height position of the upper end of the second support pin 34 in the raised position is referred to as “height position B”. The height position of the holding surface 30 is referred to as “height position C”. As shown in FIG. 2, the height position A is on the (+ Z) side of the height position B, and the raised position of the second support pin 34 is set lower than the raised position of the first support pin 33. Has been.

  The substrate processing apparatus 1 receives the substrate 90 in a state where the first support pins 33 and the second support pins 34 are raised to their raised positions (state shown in FIG. 2). Specifically, the substrate 90 is delivered to the upper end of the first support pin 33 and the upper end of the second support pin 34 at which the conveying device outside the apparatus is in the raised position.

  As described above, the height position of the upper end is different between the first support pin 33 in the raised position and the second support pin in the raised position. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the substrate 90 is supported above the stage 3 in a state where the central portion is bent downward. In the present embodiment, the height difference between the height position A and the height position B is set to about 1 mm. However, if the atmosphere between the substrate 90 and the holding surface 30 is smooth and the bending stress applied to the substrate 90 is not excessive, the height difference between the height position A and the height position B is as follows. It is not limited to this.

  In order to place the loaded substrate 90 on the holding surface 30, the control unit 8 starts rotation of the rotation motor 360 of the drive mechanism 36 and starts to lower the lift plate 351 from the state shown in FIG. 2. As a result, the sliding contact plate 352 supporting the lower end of the first support pin 33 is lowered, so that the first support pin 33 starts to descend. In addition, since the raising member 354 that supports the lower end of the second support pin 34 also descends as the sliding contact plate 353 descends, the second support pin 34 also begins to descend.

  That is, until the lower end of the raising member 354 comes into contact with the fixed plate 350, the relative position between the upper end of the first support pin 33 and the upper end of the second support pin 34 continues to descend without changing, and the substrate 90 descends while maintaining the posture shown in FIG. Further, when the substrate 90 is placed on the stage 3, when the lift plate 351 is lowered, the second support pin 34 is moved to the lowered position (the upper end is the “height position C”) before the first support pin 33. ).

  When the lift plate 351 is lowered and the upper end of the second support pin 34 is lowered to the height position (height position C) of the holding surface 30, the central portion of the substrate 90 supported by the second support pin 34 is the holding surface. 30. At this time, since the upper end of the first support pin 33 is located higher than the upper end of the second support pin 34, the peripheral portion of the substrate 90 is not yet placed on the holding surface 30. That is, the substrate 90 is placed on the holding surface 30 at the center before the periphery.

  In a state where the upper end of the second support pin 34 is lowered to the height position C, the lower end of the raising member 354 contacts the upper surface of the fixed plate 350. Since the raising member 354 is not lowered when supported by the fixed plate 350, even if the lift plate 351 is further lowered from this state, the second support pin 34 is not lowered, and the height of the upper end of the second support pin 34 is increased. The height position is maintained at the height position C. That is, the second support pin 34 that has reached the lowered position before the first support pin 33 stops at that position even if the drive mechanism 36 does not stop.

  As a result, the substrate 90 and the upper end portion of the second support pin 34 remain in contact with each other, and no atmosphere layer is formed between the second support pin 34 and the substrate 90.

  When the lift plate 351 further descends and the upper end of the first support pin 33 descends to the height position of the holding surface 30, the control unit 8 stops the drive mechanism 36 and stops the lift plate 351 from descending. At this time, the upper end of the first support pin 33 and the upper end of the second support pin 34 are both at the height position C. Therefore, since neither the first support pin 33 nor the second support pin 34 protrudes above the holding surface 30, the substrate 90 is supported by the holding surface 30 in a substantially horizontal posture as shown in FIG. That is, the peripheral part of the substrate 90 is placed on the central part and supported by the holding surface 30.

  As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, since the substrate 90 is sequentially supported by the holding surface 30 from the central portion toward the peripheral portion, the atmosphere between the substrate 90 and the holding surface 30 is directed toward the peripheral portion. Exhaust properly. As a result, no atmosphere stays on the back surface of the central portion of the substrate 90, so that the floating state of the substrate 90 does not occur. Therefore, the substrate 90 can be placed on the holding surface 30 with high positioning accuracy.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment, suction from the suction port provided in the holding surface 30 is started immediately before the second support pin 34 reaches the lowered position. Also by this, since the atmosphere between the substrate 90 and the holding surface 30 is exhausted satisfactorily, the positioning accuracy of the substrate 90 can be further improved.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the pin support mechanism 35 is configured such that the height of the upper end of the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 33 are in a state where both the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 are in the lowered position. The lower end of the first support pin 33 and the lower end of the second support pin 34 are respectively supported so that the height position of the upper end of the pin 34 is substantially equal to the height position of the holding surface 30. Thus, in a state where the substrate 90 is supported by the holding surface 30, the upper end of the first support pin 33 and the upper end of the second support pin 34 are both in contact with the substrate 90, and the atmosphere between the substrate 90 and the substrate 90 is Layer is not formed. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can reduce temperature unevenness of the substrate 90 being processed.

  Further, the pin support mechanism 35 supports the lower ends of the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34, so that the back surface of the substrate 90 in which the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 are supported by the holding surface 30. Abut. With such a structure, the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 are not biased in the (+ Z) direction, and it is not necessary to apply an external force in the (+ Z) direction to the substrate 90 being processed. Therefore, it is not necessary to suck the substrate 90 in the (−Z) direction. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can stop the suction of the substrate 90 by suction after the substrate 90 is completely placed on the holding surface 30, and can suppress local stress applied to the substrate 90. . Therefore, breakage of the substrate can be more effectively prevented.

  Further, in order to hold the substrate 90 by suction, it is necessary to increase the opening size of the suction port to some extent. In this case, the portion at the position of the suction port on the back surface of the substrate 90 hits the atmosphere layer, which causes temperature unevenness of the substrate 90.

  However, since the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs the suction only for exhausting the atmosphere between the substrate 90 and the holding surface 30 when placing the substrate 90, the opening size of the suction port can be made relatively small. Temperature unevenness can be reduced.

  In this way, when the substrate 90 is held at a predetermined position on the holding surface 30, the substrate processing apparatus 1 scans the surface of the substrate 90 while discharging the resist solution from the slit nozzle 41 to remove the resist solution. It is applied to the surface of the substrate 90. That is, the coating process is executed.

  Next, a case where the coating process is completed and the substrate 90 supported by the stage 3 is raised (when the substrate 90 is picked up from the holding surface 30) will be described.

  First, the drive mechanism 36 raises the lift plate 351 from the state where both the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 are in the lowered position (the state shown in FIG. 3). Thereby, the sliding contact plates 352 and 353 immediately start to rise, and the first support pin 33 supported by the sliding contact plate 352 immediately starts to rise. On the other hand, since the upper surface of the sliding contact plate 353 is separated from the upper part of the raising member 354, the raising member 354 does not rise immediately, and the second support pin 34 does not rise during that time.

  Accordingly, the substrate 90 is raised only by the first support pins 33 at the start of the raising operation. That is, in the initial stage of the picking up operation of the substrate 90, only the peripheral portion of the substrate 90 supported by the first support pins 33 is lifted, and the central portion supported by the second support pins 34 remains in contact with the holding surface 30. It becomes the state of.

  When picking up the substrate 90 from the holding surface 30, a gap space is formed between the substrate 90 and the stage 3. Since this gap space is in a low pressure state until the atmosphere sufficiently flows in, the substrate 90 is in a state where a load due to atmospheric pressure is applied in the (−Z) direction from the surface side. If the substrate 90 is forcibly pushed up with pins in this state, the substrate 90 may be damaged. However, since the atmosphere flows into the gap space from the peripheral portion of the substrate 90, the peripheral portion of the substrate 90 is a portion where the atmosphere tends to wrap around the back surface as compared with the central portion. Therefore, the peripheral portion of the substrate 90 can be lifted safely compared to the central portion.

  When the lift plate 351 further rises and the upper surface of the sliding contact plate 353 comes into contact with the raising member 354, the raising member 354 is then raised integrally with the lift plate 351. As a result, the second support pin 34 starts to rise. That is, the second support pin 34 protrudes above the holding surface 30 with a delay from the first support pin 33.

  In this way, the substrate processing apparatus 1 provides a time lag between the start of raising the first support pin 33 and the start of raising the second support pin 34, so that the atmosphere easily flows into the stage 3. It can be raised sequentially. If sufficient atmosphere flows into the back surface of the peripheral portion of the substrate 90, the load is small even if the central portion is lifted. Therefore, since the substrate processing apparatus 1 can suppress the force applied to the substrate 90 when picking up the substrate 90, the substrate 90 can be prevented from being damaged.

  As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment places the substrate 90 on the holding surface 30 first from the center of the substrate 90 when placing the substrate 90 on the holding surface 30 of the stage 3. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of displacement due to the floating of the substrate 90.

  Further, since the upper end of the first support pin 33 and the upper end of the second support pin 34 are in contact with the back surface of the substrate 90 being processed, the substrate is compared with a case where a space is formed between the pins and the back surface of the substrate 90. 90 temperature unevenness can be suppressed. Therefore, the accuracy of the coating process is improved.

  Further, by supporting the lower end of the first support pin 33 and the lower end of the second support pin 34, it is not necessary to bias the first support pin 33 and the second support pin toward the substrate 90 being processed. In other words, unnecessary external force is not applied from the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 to the substrate 90 being processed. Therefore, it is not necessary to adsorb the substrate 90 and the external force applied to the substrate 90 can be suppressed, so that the substrate 90 can be prevented from being damaged.

  Further, when the substrate 90 that has been subjected to the coating process is picked up from the holding surface 30, the substrate 90 can be prevented from being damaged by being lifted from the peripheral portion of the substrate 90.

  Furthermore, since the raising / lowering operation of the board | substrate 90 is implement | achieved by the one drive mechanism 36 (rotary motor 360), the increase in apparatus cost can be suppressed.

<2. Second Embodiment>
In the first embodiment, the example in which the second support pin 34 and the raising member 354 are formed of different members has been described. However, the second support pin 34 and the raising member 354 are not separate members. Also good.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the pin support mechanism 35a of the substrate processing apparatus 1a according to the second embodiment supports the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34a in the raised position. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the pin support mechanism 35a supports the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34a at the lowered position. Note that, in the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1a, the same configuration as the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the first embodiment is denoted by the same reference numeral, and the description thereof is omitted as appropriate. The same applies to the following embodiments.

  Similarly to the second support pin 34 in the first embodiment, the second support pin 34a in the second embodiment is a pin that supports the central portion of the substrate 90, but a ring member in the middle of the shaft portion. The difference is that 340 is provided. The shaft portion of the second support pin 34a is inserted into the hole provided in the center portion of the ring member 340 along the Z-axis direction. The ring member 340 is fixed to a predetermined position of the shaft portion of the second support pin 34a by a push screw from the side surface direction.

  The ring member 340 may be formed as a member integrated with the shaft portion of the second support pin 34a. In the present embodiment, the upper ends of the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34a have a substantially flat pad shape, but, of course, a gently pointed shape as in the first embodiment. It may be.

  The pin support mechanism 35 a according to the second embodiment includes a lift plate 351 a that is moved up and down by a drive mechanism 36. The lift plate 351a directly supports the lower end of the first support pin 33 by its upper surface, and a through hole 351b is provided at the lower end position of the second support pin 34a on the XY plane. Through the through hole 351b, the lower end portion of the second support pin 34a penetrates the lift plate 351a and protrudes in the (−Z) direction.

  The second support pin 34a moves up and down integrally with the lift plate 351a when the ring member 340 is supported by the lift plate 351a. On the other hand, in a state where the second support pin 34a is at the lower end position (a state where the upper end is at the height position C), the lower end of the second support pin 34a is directly supported by the fixing plate 350. The second support pin 34 a does not move up and down while being supported by the fixed plate 350.

  That is, the substrate processing apparatus 1a in the second embodiment has a structure that is substantially the same as the state in which the second support pins 34 and the raising member 354 are fixed to each other in the first embodiment.

  Also in the substrate processing apparatus 1a in the second embodiment having the structure as described above, substantially the same effect as that of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the first embodiment can be obtained.

<3. Third Embodiment>
In the first embodiment, the example in which the raising member 354 is configured by a member separate from the fixed plate 350 and the raised member 354 is separated from the fixed plate 350 at the raised position is described. The fixing plate 350 may have a function.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the pin support mechanism 35b of the substrate processing apparatus 1b according to the third embodiment supports the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34b in the raised position. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the pin support mechanism 35b supports the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34b in the lowered position.

  The pin support mechanism 35b according to the third embodiment includes a fixed plate 350a on which a pin-shaped raised portion 350b is formed. The raised portion 350b is formed in a shape protruding from the upper surface of the fixed plate 350a, and has a shape in which the upper end is gently sharpened.

  In the lift plate 351a of the second embodiment, a through hole 351b is formed and the second support pin 34a is inserted. However, the lift plate 351a of the third embodiment is bulky in the through hole 351b of the lift plate 351a of the third embodiment. The raising part 350b is inserted.

  The second support pin 34b in the third embodiment is provided with a sliding contact portion 341 at the lower end. Since the sliding contact portion 341 has a cross-sectional area wider than the opening area of the through hole 351b, the sliding contact portion is in a state where the second support pin 34b is disposed at a position higher than the lowered position (FIG. 6). 341 is supported by the lift plate 351a.

  On the other hand, in a state where the upper end of the second support pin 34b is at the height position C, the tip of the raised portion 350b comes into contact with the back surface of the sliding contact portion 341, and the second support pin 34b is supported by the fixed plate 350a. In the state where the second support pin 34b is supported by the fixed plate 350a, the second support pin 34b does not move up and down even when the lift plate 351a moves up and down, as in the above embodiment.

  As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1b in the third embodiment can also obtain the same effects as those in the above embodiment.

<4. Fourth Embodiment>
In the above embodiment, the example in which the second support pin 34 (34a, 34b) at the lower end position is supported by the fixing plate 350 (350a) has been described, but the present invention is not limited to such a structure.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the pin support mechanism 35c of the substrate processing apparatus 1c according to the fourth embodiment supports the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 in the raised position. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an intermediate state in which the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 are moving between the raised position and the lowered position in the fourth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the pin support mechanism 35c supports the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 in the lowered position.

  The pin support mechanism 35c of the substrate processing apparatus 1c includes a lift plate 351c driven by the drive mechanism 36a, but does not include a structure corresponding to the fixed plate 350 in the above embodiment.

  On the upper surface of the lift plate 351c, a sliding contact plate 352a that supports the lower end of the first support pin 33 and a sliding contact plate 353a that supports the lower end of the second support pin 34 are fixed. Further, a link member 364 of the drive mechanism 36a is fixed to an end portion on the (+ Y) side of the lift plate 351c.

  The sliding contact plate 352a moves integrally with the lift plate 351c and has a substantially horizontal surface with a flat upper surface. Therefore, even if the lift plate 351c moves in the Y-axis direction, the position of the upper end of the first support pin 33 does not change. The sliding contact plate 352a may have the same structure as the sliding contact plate 352 in the first embodiment. Moreover, the structure which the upper surface of the lift plate 351c supports the 1st support pin 33 directly similarly to 2nd Embodiment may be sufficient.

  The sliding contact plate 353a moves integrally with the lift plate 351c, and its upper surface is formed by an upper step surface 353b, an inclined surface 353c, and a lower step surface 353d. The upper step surface 353b and the lower step surface 353d are substantially horizontal planes having different height positions, and the height difference is formed to be substantially equal to the height difference between the “height position A” and the “height position B”. Has been. Further, the slope 353c gradually decreases in height toward the (+ Y) direction, and the inclination thereof is substantially equal to the inclination of a groove 366b described later. Further, the (−Y) side of the slope 353c is smoothly continuous with the upper stage surface 353b, and the (+ Y) side is smoothly continued with the lower stage surface 353d.

  8 to 10, in the substrate processing apparatus 1c in the present embodiment, not only the lower end of the first support pin 33 but also the lower end of the second support pin 34 is always slidably supported. Therefore, as in the first and second embodiments, the external force applied to the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 can be suppressed.

  The drive mechanism 36a includes a cylinder rod 363, a link member 364, a cam follower 365, and a groove cam 366 in addition to the air cylinder 360a.

  The cylinder rod 363 extends and contracts in the Z-axis direction, thereby transmitting a driving force in the Z-axis direction to the link member 364.

  The upper end portion of the cylinder rod 363 engages with a long hole (not shown) extending along the Y-axis direction provided in the link member 364, and is attached to the so-called long hole. Accordingly, the relative position in the Y-axis direction between the upper end portion of the cylinder rod 363 and the link member 364 changes according to the lifting and lowering operation of the cylinder rod 363, but the relative position in the Z-axis direction does not change. .

  That is, the lift distance (extension / contraction distance) in the Z-axis direction of the cylinder rod 363 is the lift distance in the Z-axis direction of the link member 364 (lift plate 351c) as it is. On the other hand, the position of the cylinder rod 363 in the Y axis direction is substantially fixed, and even if the lift plate 351c moves in the Y axis direction, the cylinder rod 363 does not move in conjunction with the Y axis direction.

  The link member 364 has an end on the (−Y) side fixed to the lift plate 351c, and a cam follower 365 is attached to the end on the (+ Y) side. The groove cam 366 is provided with a groove 366a formed along the Z-axis direction and a groove 366b formed with the same inclination as the inclined surface 353c with respect to the Z-axis, as shown in FIGS. Further, the groove 366a and the groove 366b communicate with each other. A cam follower 365 is fitted in the groove 366a and the groove 366b.

  With such a structure, the moving direction of the cam follower 365 is defined by the groove cam 366 (by the shapes of the grooves 366a and 366b). The moving direction of the cam follower 365 is the moving direction of the lift plate 351c. Therefore, while the cam follower 365 moves in the groove 366a, the lift plate 351c moves only in the Z-axis direction. On the other hand, while the cam follower 365 moves in the groove 366b, the lift plate 351c moves not only in the Z axis direction but also in the Y axis direction.

  Since the positions of the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 in the XY direction are both defined by the through hole 300, when the lift plate 351c moves in the Y-axis direction, the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 The relative position of the pin 34 and the lift plate 351c moves.

  In the pin support mechanism 35c in the present embodiment, since the upper surface of the sliding contact plate 352a is substantially horizontal, the first support pin 33 is not affected even if the lift plate 351c moves in the Y-axis direction. That is, the movement of the cylinder rod 363 in the Z-axis direction directly moves up and down the first support pin 33, and the first support pin 33 is not affected by the groove cam 366.

  The operation when the substrate processing apparatus 1c according to the fourth embodiment places the substrate 90 on the stage 3 will be described with the above structure.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the state in which the cylinder rod 363 has moved most in the (+ Z) direction is the raised position in the present embodiment. At this time, the lower end of the second support pin 34 is supported by the lower step surface 353d of the sliding contact plate 353a, and the height position of the lower end of the first support pin 33 and the height position of the lower end of the second support pin 34 Is almost the same.

  Since the second support pin 34 has a shorter dimension in the Z-axis direction than the first support pin 33, the height position B of the upper end of the second support pin 34 is the height of the upper end of the first support pin 33. It is lower than the height position A. Also in the present embodiment, since the first support pins 33 are arranged in the peripheral portion and the second support pins 34 are arranged in the central portion, the substrate 90 is supported in a state where the central portion is bent low in the raised position. Is done.

  From the state shown in FIG. 8, the drive mechanism 36 a moves the cylinder rod 363 in the (−Z) direction to place the substrate 90 supported by the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 on the holding surface 30. . When the cylinder rod 363 starts to descend from the ascending position, the cam follower 365 moves along the groove 366a. Since the groove 366a is provided along the Z axis, the lift plate 351c moves only in the (−Z) direction during this period (the initial stage of the lowering operation).

  Thus, while the lift plate 351c moves only in the Z-axis direction, the relative positions of the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 and the pin support mechanism 35c do not change. Accordingly, the substrate 90 is lowered in the posture shown in FIG.

  Thus, in the substrate processing apparatus 1c according to the fourth embodiment, the upper surface of the sliding contact plate 352a and the upper surface of the sliding contact plate 353a (upper surface 353b, inclined surface 353c, and lower step surface 353d) are inclined on the stage 3. When the substrate 90 is placed, the second support pins 34 are formed to reach the lowered position before the first support pins 33 (FIG. 9).

  Thereby, also in the present embodiment, the substrate 90 is placed on the holding surface 30 first from the central portion (portion supported by the second support pins 34). Therefore, the outflow of the atmosphere on the back surface of the substrate 90 is appropriately performed.

  When the cylinder rod 363 continues to descend and the cam follower 365 reaches the lower end of the groove 366a, the cam follower 365 thereafter moves along the groove 366b (FIG. 7). As described above, the groove 366b is formed so as to be inclined with respect to the Z-axis. Therefore, when the cam follower 365 moves along the groove 366b due to the lowering of the cylinder rod 363, the lift plate 351c is not only in the (−Z) direction but also in the (+ Y) direction according to the inclination of the groove 366b. Moving.

  The movement distance in the Y-axis direction when the cam follower 365 moves along the groove 366b is the relative movement distance in the Y-axis direction between the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 and the pin support mechanism 35b. Become.

  Since the upper surface of the sliding contact plate 352a is a substantially horizontal plane, the height position of the upper end of the first support pin 33 does not change no matter what position on the upper surface the lower end of the first support pin 33 is supported. In other words, as long as the first support pin 33 is supported by the upper surface of the sliding contact plate 352a, the movement of the lift plate 351c in the Y-axis direction does not affect the height position of the upper end of the first support pin 33. Therefore, even while the cam follower 365 moves in the groove 366b, the height position of the upper end of the first support pin 33 changes by the lift distance of the cylinder rod 363.

  The lower step surface 353d of the sliding contact plate 353a is a substantially horizontal plane. Therefore, as with the first support pin 33, the height position of the upper end of the second support pin 34 is changed by the ascending / descending distance of the cylinder rod 363 while the second support pin 34 is also supported by the lower step surface 353d. .

  In order to suppress the temperature unevenness of the substrate 90 in the coating process, it is preferable that the upper end of the second support pin 34 is in contact with the back surface of the substrate 90, so that the upper end of the second support pin 34 is once on the holding surface 30. After descending to the height position C, it is necessary to stop the descending of the second support pin 34.

  In the present embodiment, the shape of the groove 366b is designed so that when the second support pin 34 is lowered to the lowered position, the position where the second support pin 34 is supported becomes the end portion on the slope 353c side of the lower step surface 353d. Has been. In other words, depending on the shape of the groove 366b (the position of the cam follower 365 when the second support pin 34 is lowered to the lowered position), the shape of the sliding contact plate 353a (here, mainly the lower step surface 353d). It can be said that the shape is designed.

  The drive mechanism 36a lowers the cylinder rod 363 as it is to lower the first support pin 33 to the lowered position even after the second support pin 34 is lowered to the lowered position. As a result, the cam follower 365 continues to move along the groove 366b, and the lift plate 351c moves in the (+ Y) direction while moving in the (−Z) direction.

  During this time, the position where the lower end of the second support pin 34 is supported moves on the inclined surface 353c in the (−Y) direction as the lift plate 351c moves in the (+ Y) direction. That is, the lift plate 351c moves in the (−Z) direction by the descending distance of the cylinder rod 363, but the thickness of the sliding contact plate 353a increases by the descending distance, and the height of the lower end of the second support pin 34 is increased. The position remains unchanged. That is, since the inclination of the groove 366b and the inclination of the inclined surface 353c are substantially the same, the upper end position of the second support pin 34 is maintained at the “height position C”.

  In addition, since the shapes of the inclined surfaces 353c and the grooves 366b are determined to be equal to each other, the position for supporting the lower end of the second support pin 34 with respect to the inclined surface 353c when moving on the inclined surface 353c. The movement locus is parallel to the movement locus of the cam follower 365 that moves in the groove 366b. Therefore, the lift plate 351c (sliding contact plate 353a) and the second support pin 34 can be prevented from being twisted.

  When the upper end of the first support pin 33 reaches the height position C, the drive mechanism 36a stops the air cylinder 360a and stops the lift plate 351c from descending. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 10, when both the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 are in the lowered position, the height position of the upper end of the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 are set. The height position of the upper end of each is substantially equal to the height position C of the holding surface 30.

  Also in the substrate processing apparatus 1c in the fourth embodiment, since the coating process is performed in the state shown in FIG. 10, the upper end of the first support pin 33 and the upper end of the second support pin 34 and the back surface of the substrate 90 are between. An atmosphere layer is not formed, and temperature unevenness of the substrate 90 can be suppressed.

  On the other hand, when raising the substrate 90 supported by the stage 3, the drive mechanism 36a drives the air cylinder 360a to raise the cylinder rod 363. As a result, the cam follower 365 rises along the groove 366b, and the lower end of the second support pin 34 moves in the (+ Y) direction so as to go down the slope 353c of the sliding contact plate 353a. Therefore, when the cylinder rod 363 starts to rise, the height position of the lower end of the second support pin 34 does not change, and only the first support pin 33 protrudes from the holding surface 30. As a result, only the peripheral portion of the substrate 90 is first lifted.

  When the lower end of the second support pin 34 is supported by the lower surface 353d of the sliding contact plate 353a, the upper end of the second support pin 34 rises with the lift plate 351c rising, and the upper end of the second support pin 34 is It protrudes from the holding surface 30.

  As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus 1b according to the third embodiment, when the substrate 90 is picked up, the second support pins 34 are delayed from the first support pins 34 on the holding surface 30 when the substrate 90 is picked up. It protrudes upward (FIG. 9).

  When the upper end of the first support pin 33 reaches the height position A and the upper end of the second support pin 34 reaches the height position B, the drive mechanism 36a stops the air cylinder 360a and ends the ascending operation.

  As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1c according to the fourth embodiment can obtain the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment even when the fixed plate 350 is not used.

  In addition, if the thickness in the Z-axis direction of the sliding contact plate 352a and the sliding contact plate 353a is set appropriately, the dimensions in the Z-axis direction of the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 can be made substantially the same. It is. In that case, common parts can be used as the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34.

  Further, instead of the air cylinder 360a, a configuration using a motor, a ball screw, and a feed nut can be realized as in the other embodiments. In that case, what is necessary is just to attach a feed nut to a long hole.

<5. Fifth embodiment>
In the above embodiment, the length of the second support pin 34 (34a, 34b) is unchanged, but for example, even if the dimension of the second support pin 34 (34a, 34b) in the Z-axis direction is variable. Good.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a substrate processing apparatus 1d according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 11 shows a state in which the pin support mechanism 35d supports the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34c in the lowered position.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1d according to the present embodiment, the first support pin 33 is not supported by the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34c (the load of the substrate 90 is not applied to these pins). The dimensions in the Z-axis direction of 33 and the second support pin 34c are substantially the same. Accordingly, the lift plate 351d of the pin support mechanism 35d according to the present embodiment supports the lower end of the first support pin 33 and the lower end of the second support pin 34c at the same height position, so that the upper end of the first support pin 33 is increased. In addition, both the upper ends of the second support pins 34c can be supported at the height position C (FIG. 11).

  FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an upper portion of the second support pin 34c. In addition, in FIG. 12, about the lower shaft part 344, the cross section is shown.

  The second support pin 34c in the present embodiment includes an upper shaft portion 342 and a lower shaft portion 344. A rubber body 343 is attached to the lower portion of the upper shaft portion 342. A substantially cylindrical hole is provided on the upper surface of the lower shaft portion 344, and the rubber body 343 of the upper shaft portion 342 is inserted therein.

  With such a structure, when the second support pin 34 c supports the substrate 90, the second support pin 34 c contracts by a certain length in the (−Z) direction due to the load of the substrate 90, and the rubber body 343 is restored when the substrate 90 is not supported. Extends in the (+ Z) direction by force.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1d, in order to receive the substrate 90, the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34c are raised to their raised positions. At this time, the upper end of the first support pin 33 and the upper end of the second support pin 34c are both at the height position A.

  In this state, when the substrate 90 is delivered, only the second support pin 34c is contracted in the (−Z) direction by the weight of the substrate 90, and the upper end of the second support pin 34c is at the height position B. That is, the substrate 90 has a shape in which the central portion is bent.

  When the driving mechanism 36 lowers the lift plate 351d in order to place the substrate 90 supported by the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34c on the stage 3, the substrate 90 remains in a bent shape at the center. Descend. Accordingly, the substrate 90 is sequentially supported by the holding surface 30 from the central portion toward the peripheral portion.

  After the upper end of the second support pin 34c is lowered to the height position C, the second support pin 34c is extended by the lowering distance of the lift plate 351d, so that the upper end of the second support pin 34c is brought into contact with the back surface of the substrate 90. The contact state is maintained. That is, no atmosphere layer is formed between the substrate 90 and the second support pins 34c.

  When the lift plate 351d is lowered to the lowered position, the substrate 90 is completely supported by the holding surface 30, so that the load of the substrate 90 is not applied to the second support pins 34c. Therefore, when the first support pin 33 is lowered to the lowered position, an external force (such as an urging force of the rubber body 343) is not applied to the substrate 90 from the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34c. . Accordingly, the substrate 90 is supported on the holding surface 30 only by its own weight.

  When the application process is finished and the substrate 90 is lifted, the drive mechanism 36 raises the lift plate 351d. At this time, since the first support pins 33 do not expand and contract, the peripheral portion of the substrate 90 supported by the first support pins 33 is immediately lifted. However, since the second support pin 34c contracts by a certain length in the (−Z) direction as the rubber body 343 contracts, the central portion of the substrate 90 is lifted with a delay. As a result, the central portion of the substrate 90 can be lifted with the atmosphere sufficiently flowing into the back surface of the central portion of the substrate 90.

  As described above, also in the substrate processing apparatus 1d according to the fifth embodiment, it is possible to obtain the same effect as in the above embodiment.

  Note that a mechanism for expanding and contracting the second support pin 34c may be provided relatively below the second support pin 34c. That is, the dimension in the Z-axis direction of the upper shaft portion 342 may be made relatively long. Thereby, the expansion / contraction part (movable part) can be disposed on the back side of the stage 3, and the influence of particles can be suppressed.

  Further, the mechanism for expanding and contracting the second support pin 34c can also be realized by a mechanism using a spring. That is, such a mechanism can be realized by using an elastic body.

<6. Sixth Embodiment>
In the above-described embodiment, the drive mechanism 36 (36a) is a mechanism that generates a drive force in the Z-axis direction, but may be configured to be driven in the horizontal direction.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a substrate processing apparatus 1e according to the sixth embodiment. For convenience of illustration, the stage 3 is omitted in FIG. Further, the positions of the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 in the raised position with respect to the lift plate 351e are indicated by solid lines, and the positions of the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 in the lowered position with respect to the lift plate 351e are indicated. Shown in broken lines.

  In the drive mechanism 36b in the present embodiment, the drive shaft 361 is provided along the Y axis, and the feed nut 362 moves along the Y axis direction. As a result, the lift plate 351e moves only in the Y-axis direction.

  The upper surface of the sliding contact plate 352b that supports the lower end of the first support pin 33 forms an inclined surface 352c having a constant inclination along the Y-axis direction. With such a structure, the first support pin 33 rises at a constant speed when the lift plate 351e moves at a constant speed in the (−Y) direction and is constant when the lift plate 351e moves at a constant speed in the (+ Y) direction. Decrease at speed.

  On the other hand, the upper surface of the sliding contact plate 353e that supports the second support pin 34 forms a curved surface 353f whose inclination changes along the Y-axis direction. The (−Y) side of the curved surface 353f is a substantially horizontal plane, and the height position of the substantially horizontal plane is the height position of the (−Y) side end of the slope 352c of the sliding contact plate 352b. It is almost the same. Further, the height position on the (+ Y) side of the curved surface 353f is substantially the same as the height position of the end portion on the (+ Y) side of the inclined surface 352c of the sliding contact plate 352b.

  First, as shown by a solid line in FIG. 13, in the ascending position, the lower end of the first support pin 33 is supported by the (+ Y) side end of the slope 352c, and the Z axis direction of the sliding contact plate 352b in this portion Depending on the thickness, the upper end of the first support pin 33 is at the height position A. The lower end of the second support pin 34 is supported by the (+ Y) side end portion of the curved surface 353f, and the upper end of the second support pin 34 is also high due to the thickness of the sliding contact plate 353e in this portion in the Z-axis direction. It is now position A.

  Therefore, when the substrate 90 is supported by the first support pins 33 and the second support pins 34 in the raised position, the substrate 90 is supported in a substantially horizontal state, and stress (mainly bending stress) acting on the substrate 90 is applied. Can be suppressed.

  In order to place the substrate 90 supported by the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 in the raised position on the holding surface 30 of the stage 3, the rotation motor 360 rotates to move the lift plate 351e in the (+ Y) direction. Move to.

  Since both the sliding contact plate 352b and the sliding contact plate 353e decrease in thickness in the (−Y) direction, the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 are in the (+ Y) direction of the lift plate 351e. Although both of them are lowered by the movement, the curved surface 353f of the sliding contact plate 353e is steeper, so that the second support pin 34 has a lower descending speed and reaches the lowered position first.

  As a result, the central portion of the substrate 90 supported by the second support pins 34 is first supported by the holding surface 30 of the stage 3. That is, also in the present embodiment, when the substrate 90 is placed on the holding surface 30, the center portion is bent. Therefore, the atmosphere on the back surface of the substrate 90 flows out appropriately, and the floating phenomenon of the substrate 90 does not occur.

  Further, since the support position of the second support pin 34 that has reached the lowered position moves in a substantially horizontal plane portion of the curved surface 353f, the second support pin 34 does not descend even if the lift plate 351e is moved further. That is, after the upper end of the second support pin 34 has reached the height position C, the upper end of the second support pin 34 does not descend, so that no atmosphere layer is formed between the substrate 90 and the second support pin 34. .

  When the support position of the lower end of the first support pin 33 reaches the (−Y) side end of the inclined surface 352c (when the positional relationship shown by the broken line is reached), the drive mechanism 36b rotates the rotary motor 360. Stop and stop the movement of the lift plate 351e in the Y-axis direction.

  When picking up the substrate 90 after the coating process from the holding surface 30, the drive mechanism 36b moves the lift plate 351e in the (−Y) direction.

  At this time, since the lower end of the first support pin 33 starts to rise immediately by the inclined surface 352c of the sliding contact plate 352b, the upper end of the first support pin 33 also starts to rise immediately. As a result, the peripheral portion of the substrate 90 supported by the first support pins 33 is immediately lifted.

  On the other hand, since the support position of the lower end of the second support pin 34 moves in a substantially horizontal plane portion of the curved surface 353f of the sliding contact plate 353e in the initial stage of the ascending operation, the upper end of the second support pin 34 does not rise. Accordingly, during this time, the central portion of the substrate 90 supported by the second support pins 34 is not lifted and is lifted later than the peripheral portion. Therefore, the substrate 90 can be lifted after the atmosphere sufficiently flows into the back surface of the central portion.

  As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the sixth embodiment can also obtain the same effects as those in the above embodiment.

  Further, unlike the drive mechanisms 36 and 36a in the above-described embodiment, it can be realized by the drive mechanism 36b that is driven in the horizontal direction.

<7. Modification>
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made.

  For example, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, the position where the raising member 354 supports the second support pin 34 and the position where the raising member 354 is supported by the fixed plate 350 are within the XY plane. Was the same. However, the supporting position is not limited to such a positional relationship. 14 and 15 are diagrams illustrating an example in which the raising member 354a supports the second support pin 34 at a shifted position. FIG. 14 shows a state in which the pin support mechanism 35f supports the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 in the raised position. FIG. 15 shows how the pin support mechanism 35f supports the first support pin 33 and the second support pin 34 in the lowered position. The substrate processing apparatus 1f according to the modification includes a lift plate 351a having a through hole 351b, similarly to the substrate processing apparatus 1a according to the second embodiment. However, in the substrate processing apparatus 1f, the positions of the through holes 351b in the lift plate 351a are different from those in the substrate processing apparatus 1a in the second embodiment. Thus, even if the position where the raising member 354a is supported and the position where the second support pin 34 is supported are shifted, the same operation as the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the first embodiment is performed. Can be realized, and the same effect can be obtained.

  In the above embodiment, the surface (holding surface 30) that supports the substrate 90 has been described as a flat surface, but the present invention is not limited to this. When picking up the substrate 90, a plurality of proximity pins may be provided on the upper surface of the stage 3 in order to smoothly flow the atmosphere to the back surface. In this case, the surface formed by the upper ends of the plurality of proximity pins corresponds to the holding surface 30.

  Moreover, although the example which raises / lowers the board | substrate 90 by 2 steps | paragraphs by the 1st support pin 33 and the 2nd support pin 34 (34a, 34b, 34c) was demonstrated, of course, 3 steps | paragraphs or more steps are provided. Also good. Such a mechanism can be realized by stepwise determining the length of the pin, the length of the raising member, the shape of the sliding contact plate, or the like.

  Moreover, although the substrate processing apparatus 1 was demonstrated as a coating device, it can be applied also to apparatuses for other uses such as a heating apparatus and a cooling apparatus. When applied to a heating apparatus, a heater is built in the stage 3 in the substrate processing apparatus 1 so that the stage 3 functions as a hot plate. For example, a substrate 90 on which a resist film is formed is placed on the hot plate, and the resist film formed on the surface of the substrate 90 is dried. Moreover, when applying to a cooling device, piping for circulating cooling water is provided in the stage 3 in the substrate processing apparatus 1 so that the stage 3 functions as a cool plate. A substrate 90 heated by, for example, a heating device is placed on the cool plate, and the substrate 90 is cooled to, for example, room temperature.

  FIG. 16 is a view showing a conventional heating apparatus 100 that raises and lowers the substrate 91 by the short pins 101 and the long pins 102. The heating device 100 employs a mechanism that moves the short pins 101 and the long pins 102 up and down integrally with the lift plate 103 when the substrate 91 is delivered. Therefore, the tip of the short pin 101 is buried in the hot plate 104 when the lift plate 103 is lowered. That is, when the substrate 91 is placed on the hot plate 104, the cavity 105 exists between the short pin 101 and the substrate 91.

  As described above, in the heating device 100, the cavity 105 exists on the short pin 101 as shown in FIG. 16, but there is no space corresponding to the cavity 105 on the long pin 102. In such a state, since the thermal conductivity varies depending on the presence or absence of the cavity 105, there arises a problem that the temperature acting on the substrate is not uniform within the substrate surface. Such temperature unevenness induces uneven drying of the resist film R.

  However, when the present invention is applied to a heating device, the cavity 105 is not formed, and thus drying unevenness is suppressed. In addition, when applied to a cooling device, processing unevenness due to temperature unevenness can be similarly suppressed.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows a mode that the pin support mechanism in 1st Embodiment supports a 1st support pin and a 2nd support pin in a raise position. It is a figure which shows a mode that a pin support mechanism supports a 1st support pin and a 2nd support pin in a raise position. It is a figure which shows a mode that the pin support mechanism of the substrate processing apparatus in 2nd Embodiment supports a 1st support pin and a 2nd support pin in a raise position. It is a figure which shows a mode that a pin support mechanism supports a 1st support pin and a 2nd support pin in a lowered position. It is a figure which shows a mode that the pin support mechanism of the substrate processing apparatus in 3rd Embodiment supports a 1st support pin and a 2nd support pin in a raise position. It is a figure which shows a mode that a pin support mechanism supports a 1st support pin and a 2nd support pin in a lowered position. It is a figure which shows a mode that the pin support mechanism of the substrate processing apparatus in 4th Embodiment supports a 1st support pin and a 2nd support pin in a raise position. In 4th Embodiment, it is a figure which shows the intermediate state which the 1st support pin and the 2nd support pin are moving between the raise position and the descent position. It is a figure which shows a mode that the pin support mechanism in 4th Embodiment supports a 1st support pin and a 2nd support pin in a lowered position. It is a figure which shows the substrate processing apparatus in 5th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the upper part of the 2nd support pin in 5th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the substrate processing apparatus in 6th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the pin support mechanism in a modification. It is a figure which shows the pin support mechanism in a modification. It is a figure which shows the conventional heating apparatus which raises / lowers a board | substrate with a short pin and a long pin.

Explanation of symbols

1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f Substrate processing apparatus 2 Main body 3 Stage 30 Holding surface 300 Through hole 33 First support pin 34, 34a, 34b, 34c Second support pin 340 Ring member 341 Sliding portion 342 Upper shaft part 343 Rubber body 344 Lower shaft part 35, 35a, 35b, 35c, 35d, 35e, 35f Pin support mechanism 350, 350a Fixed plate 350b Raised parts 351, 351a, 351c, 351d, 351e Lift plates 352, 352a, 352b, 353, 353a, 353e Sliding contact plate 352c Slope 353b Upper step surface 353c Slope 353d Lower step surface 353f Curved surface 354, 354a Raised members 36, 36a, 36b Drive mechanism 360 Rotating motor 365 Cam follower 366 Groove cam 366b Groove cam 366b 1 Slit nozzle 43, 44 Elevating mechanism 50, 51 Linear motor 8 Control unit 90, 91 Substrate

Claims (3)

A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate,
In performing the process, a support base for supporting a substrate in horizontal state,
A first support pin and a second support pin that are inserted into a through-hole provided on the upper surface of the support base from the back side of the upper surface and project above the upper surface;
A pin support mechanism for supporting the first support pin and the second support pin so as to be movable up and down with respect to the support base;
One drive mechanism for moving the first support pin and the second support pin between an elevated position and a lowered position via the pin support mechanism;
With
In the case where the substrate is placed on the support base, the second support pin reaches the lowered position before the first support pin, while the substrate supported by the support base is raised. Projecting above the upper surface behind the first support pin,
The pin support mechanism includes a height position of an upper end of the first support pin and a height of an upper end of the second support pin in a state where both the first support pin and the second support pin are in the lowered position. positioned and are both to be equal properly the height position of the upper surface, a lower end and a lower end of said second support pin of said first support pin supports respectively,
The pin support mechanism is
A plate member for transmitting the driving force of the one driving mechanism to the first support pin and the second support pin;
A raising member for supporting the lower end of the second support pin;
In a state where the second support pin is in the lowered position, a fixing member that supports the lifting member;
With
The substrate processing apparatus , wherein the raising member is supported by the plate member in a state where the second support pin is not in the lowered position . A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate,
A support base for supporting the substrate in a horizontal state when performing the processing;
A first support pin and a second support pin that are inserted into a through-hole provided on the upper surface of the support base from the back side of the upper surface and project above the upper surface;
A pin support mechanism for supporting the first support pin and the second support pin so as to be movable up and down with respect to the support base;
One drive mechanism for moving the first support pin and the second support pin between an elevated position and a lowered position via the pin support mechanism;
With
In the case where the substrate is placed on the support base, the second support pin reaches the lowered position before the first support pin, while the substrate supported by the support base is raised. Projecting above the upper surface behind the first support pin,
The pin support mechanism includes a height position of an upper end of the first support pin and a height of an upper end of the second support pin in a state where both the first support pin and the second support pin are in the lowered position. The lower position of the first support pin and the lower end of the second support pin are respectively supported so that the vertical position is equal to the height position of the upper surface,
The pin support mechanism is
A plate member for transmitting the driving force of the one driving mechanism to the first support pin and the second support pin;
In a state where the second support pin is in the lowered position, a fixing member that penetrates the plate member and supports the lower end of the second support pin;
A substrate processing apparatus, characterized in that it comprises a. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate,
A support base for supporting the substrate in a horizontal state when performing the processing;
A first support pin and a second support pin that are inserted into a through-hole provided on the upper surface of the support base from the back surface side of the upper surface and project above the upper surface;
A pin support mechanism for supporting the first support pin and the second support pin so as to be movable up and down with respect to the support base;
One drive mechanism for moving the first support pin and the second support pin between an elevated position and a lowered position via the pin support mechanism;
With
In the case where the substrate is placed on the support base, the second support pin reaches the lowered position before the first support pin, while the substrate supported by the support base is raised. Projecting above the upper surface behind the first support pin,
The pin support mechanism includes a height position of an upper end of the first support pin and a height of an upper end of the second support pin in a state where both the first support pin and the second support pin are in the lowered position. The lower position of the first support pin and the lower end of the second support pin are respectively supported so that the vertical position is equal to the height position of the upper surface,
The pin support mechanism is
A plate member for transmitting the driving force of the one driving mechanism to the first support pin and the second support pin;
A fixing member that supports a lower end of the second support pin in a state where the second support pin is in the lowered position;
With
The second support pin is
A substrate processing apparatus , comprising: a support portion supported by the plate member in a state not in the lowered position .

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